ORMOND.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 228, 5 September 1884, Page 2

ORMOND.

[Contributed.! This old military settlement is situate 12 miles from the town of Gisborne, and reached by a good metalled road the entire distance, thanks to the present and preceding members of Cook County Council. The district, since the war hus made many good strides, and by the increase of population the surrounding country is rapidly becoming of importance. It possesses two hotels, the Ormond and the Chandos. The post and telephone office is at Mr. Wallace’s store. Telephonic communication was only established about twelve months ago. There are a couple of halls in the township which serve for holding public meetings and for entertainments. The present school house has become too small to adequately accommodate the steady increasa of children, and a movement is now afoot for erecting a larger and more convenient one, Latterly a second smithy has been started, and from present appearances both knights of the anvil are doing a good trade. Its local affairs are managed by a Road Board. The head master of the school is Mr. Henry Higgins, a thoroughly efficient teacher, and one who takes a great interest in the education of the children. He is also a musician, and teaches music in the school. A brass band exists, and has attained to a good state of efficiency under his direction. Formerly there was a good volunteer corps in the township, but it has been disbanded.

One of Ormond’s most promising local industries is that of hop-growing and horticulture. This should eventually prove of great benefit to the district. Three coaches run daily — hailing from Ormond between Gisborne and that place, so that good oom-

munication has been established, the mail contract being given to Mr. Peters. Up to the present time no place of worship has been erected, but the public halls and the school house are made use of by the ministers of the various religious organisations of Gisborne. One of the Sunday afternoon attractions is a Service of Song held in the Schoolhouse, some of the inhabitants meeting together, singing from the Moody and Sankey selections, the proceedings sometimes being interspersed by the reading of a short sermon. The township of Ormond runs along under the foot of a range of hills, a narrow strip of land cut off from the main flats or valley by the river, which has on several occasions threatened to take possession of the main street of the township and carry it away. A few social and rollicking spirits reside at Ormond. They are often to be met with at the Chandos or the Ormond Hotels. There is a vast quantity of back country, including some good bush land, from which a timber trade has been for many years carried on. At the present time the Mill is in the hands of Mr. King, and operations are being carried on with payable results. One of the important industries is that of WOOL SCOURING. This is carried on by Mr. Skillicorn, who has been a resident of Poveity Bay thirteen years. He was the original fellmonger of Hawke’s Bay, having there carried on the business in conjunction with his partner, Mr. Brown, trading as Brown and Skillicorn. There the firm operated on a large scale. Here Mr. Skillicorn has only an acre of ground. Some years ago he was interested in several stations in this Bay. The wool scouring and fellmongering is done from a floating platform attached to the bank of the Waipaoa river, which abuts his section of land. This district produces sufficient wool to well fill two ships. Mr. Skillicorn has several hands engaged at his establishment. In local matters there is no one in Ormond who interests himself more so than our fellmonger, who is now Chairman of the School Committee and a member of the Domain Board. His proposal now is to lease the reserves, which are situated close to Ormond township, and expend the rent in improving the Education reserves, by planting ornamental trees, &c.